John MOONEY - Testimony 1992

John MOONEY - Testimony 1992

Blues

Testimony captures the driving intensity of John Mooney's live shows. Recorded with a stellar supporting band -- featuring drummer Johnny Vidcovich and the Meters' bassist George Porter, Jr. -- Testimony featuring seven covers (including cuts by Robert Johnson and Son House) and seven originals, which are easily among the best that Mooney has ever written. But the key to the record is the sound -- not only is Mooney's guitar playing hot and greasy, but there's a tense fury to his vocals that brings the whole thing to a boil. Testimony is a gripping listen and one of the best albums Mooney ever recorded.
By Thom Owens, All Music Guide.
**
This is one of the best delta blues albums ever made and John Mooney is a top notch musician. Great singer songwriter and amazing guitarist, the best I've ever seen live. John combines delta blues (Muddy Waters, Son House, Robert Johnson) with the funky beats of New Orleans (Professor Longhair) and you have a very unique style of blues. He has an all-star cast with him on this CD and the results are off the charts. This is a must own CD. Go see John Mooney, your musical world will never be the same.
**
George Porter Jr.- Bass
Johnny Vidacovich- Drums
Tommy Malone- Vocals (Background), Guitar (Acoustic)
Jon Cleary- Piano
Darryl JohnsonVocals (Background)
Dr. John- Piano
Ivan Neville- Piano, Clavichord, Organ (Hammond)
John Mooney- Guitar, Vocals
**
01. I Plead Guilty
02. One Thing
03. Lil' Queen of Spades
04. Push and Shove
05. In the Night
06. Take Time to Know Her
07. I Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down
08. Cryin' Out Loud
09. Maybe Baby
10. Levee Camp Moan
11. Common Ground
12. Married Woman Blues
13. Man's Gotta Do
14. Hey Now Baby
**

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Joanna CONNOR - Big Girl Blues 1995

Joanna CONNOR - Big Girl Blues 1995

Blues

What sets Joanna Connor apart from the rest of the pack of guitar-playing female blues singers is her skill on the instrument. Even though Connor has become an accomplished singer over time, her first love was guitar playing, and it shows in her live shows and on her recordings.

Brooklyn-born, Massachusetts-raised Joanna Connor was drawn to the Chicago blues scene like a bee to a half-full soda can. Connor, a fiery guitarist raised in the 1970s -- when rock & roll was all over the mass media -- just wanted to play blues. She was born August 31, 1962, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised by her mother in Worcester, MA. She benefitted from her mother's huge collection of blues and jazz recordings, and a young Connor was taken to see people like Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder and Buddy Guy in concert.
Connor got her first guitar at age seven. When she was 16, she began singing in Worcester-area bands, and when she was 22, she moved to Chicago. Soon after her arrival in 1984, she began sitting in with Chicago regulars like James Cotton, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and A.C. Reed. She hooked up with Johnny Littlejohn's group for a short time before being asked by Dion Payton to join his 43rd Street Blues Band. She performed with Payton at the 1987 Chicago Blues Festival. Later that year, she was ready to put her own band together.
Her 1989 debut for the Blind Pig label, Believe It!, got her out of Chicago clubs and into clubs and festivals around the U.S., Canada and Europe. Her other albums include 1992's Fight for Blind Pig (the title track a Luther Allison tune), Living on the Road (1993) and Rock and Roll Gypsy (1995), the latter two for the Ruf Records label. Slidetime on Blind Pig followed in 1998 and Nothing But the Blues, a live recording of a 1999 show in Germany, appeared on the German Inakustik label in 2001. Connor left Blind Pig and signed to small indie label M.C. in 2002. Her first release for her new label, The Joanna Connor Band, finds Connor expanding her sound a bit in an attempt to reach a more mainstream audience.
Connor has blossomed into a gifted blues songwriter. Her songwriting talents, strongly influenced by greats like Luther Allison, will insure that she stays in the blues spotlight for years to come.
By Richard Skelly, All Music Guide.
**
If there was ever a doubt that a woman could play heavy-duty lead guitar like the men, it is completely and irrevocably dispelled on this CD. Joanna Connor is " proof positive" that women can wail and flail with the best of them. She moves between slide and traditional guitar with ease and is equally marvelous at both. The fact that she does it all on a Les Paul adds to the thrill. She also happens to sing and write well too. I have owned this CD for quite some time and every time I play it, it never ceases to amaze me. It is Blues but some tunes have a rock edge, which actually allows Joanna allot more room to display her 6 string talents. The best endorsement I can give this CD, is that everyone I play it for the first time runs right out a buys it.
**
The comparison of Connor to Bonnie Raitt is unavoidable, considering the similarities of their vocal style and skill at slide guitar. But Connor offers a more savage guitar approach, akin to George Thorogood, and she comes on as a bit nastier. The album is filled with impressive guitar work, but the bad-girl pose wears thin after a while.
What sets Joanna Connor apart from the rest of the pack of guitar-playing female blues singers is her skill on the instrument. Even though Connor has become an accomplished singer over time, her first love was guitar playing, and it shows in her live shows and on her recordings.
Her 1989 debut for the Blind Pig label, Believe It!, got her out of Chicago clubs and into clubs and festivals around the U.S., Canada and Europe. Her other albums include 1992's Fight for Blind Pig (the title track a Luther Allison tune), Living on the Road (1993) , Rock and Roll Gypsy (1995) and Big girl blues 1995, the latter two for the Ruf Records label. Slidetime on Blind Pig followed in 1998 and Nothing But the Blues, a live recording of a 1999 show in Germany, appeared on the German Inakustik label in 2001. Connor left Blind Pig and signed to small indie label M.C. in 2002. Her first release for her new label, The Joanna Connor Band, finds Connor expanding her sound a bit in an attempt to reach a more mainstream audience.
Connor has blossomed into a gifted blues songwriter. Her songwriting talents, strongly influenced by greats like Luther Allison, will insure that she stays in the blues spotlight for years to come.
**
01. Big Girl Blues (3:47)
02. 43rd St. (4:35)
03. Fly Away (4:25)
04. They Love Each Other (4:28)
05. Sweet Baby (3:11)
06. You Should Be My Lover (4:28)
07. Sister Spirit (4:28)
08. You Oughta Know (4:33)
09. Heart Of The Blues (6:01)
10. Juicy (4:11)
11. Meditations (4:05)
12. Smoke It Up (3:30)
**

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Buddy GUY and Junior WELLS - Alone and Acoustic 1991

Buddy GUY and Junior WELLS - Alone and Acoustic 1991

Blues

This CD is simply outstanding. Originally released in 1981, it features blues greats Buddy Guy and Junior Wells unplugged. Two men, one day in Paris, one acoustic guitar and one harmonica with each sharing the vocal duties. While the material is not new it is performed with such individuality and conviction that other interpretations of this same material pales in comparison. There are 15 songs arranged into an hours worth of deep south acoustic blues. This has got to be one of Alligators finest releases and is a must have for any fan of these two giants, fans of acoustic blues and fans of the blues period.
**
The magical synergy of Junior Wells and Buddy Guy was apparent in "Hoodoo Man Blues", recorded before Buddy Guy was well known. Junior Wells' subsequent solo works, while workmanlike, have never achieved the same pinnacle (e.g., Come On Into This House). With this joint effort, that synergy is back.
It is very interesting to see (hear) the pair together 30 years after that first work together. The undefinable synergy is still there - Is it the way Buddy sets up a background for Junior's vocals or harmonica? Or is it the way that Junior defers to Buddys guitar? However, with age, the two interact more sensitively and with a polish - No, a burnished patina - that makes this work a mellower version of their earlier work together. Both performers are secure in their careers and accomplishments and this results in a very special and mature interaction between them.
From the folk blues of Big Boat to the John Lee Hooker homage in Boogie Chillen, the pairing in "Alone and Acoustic" is seamless - You can almost see one person playing the guitar and harmonica while singing.
Caution: As the title suggests, this is not the Buddy Guy that Jimi Hendrix studied. For those of us who grew up with the Eric Clapton of John Mayall (also Cream, Blind Faith) Canned Heat, and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac as our introduction to the blues (along with Hendrix's 'Red House') in the late 60's, this could be a disappointment. But to me the CD is not. It is a great pleasure, with the lack of other instruments a sort of relief. No, for those of us of that era, this is more like the 'Hot Tuna' record (remember records?) after lots of electric music from Jefferson Airplane, Led Zepplin, Cream, Iron Butterfly, etc... clean and unpretentious.
And in 'Big Boat' we hear something like one of my favorites from Hoodoo Man, Buddy's sharp "Ow!" during Junior's first harmonica solo in 'Early in the Morning'. And Buddy sings on this one, too! (Hoodoo Man is one of the classic blues albums - Do yourself a favor and get it if you don't have it!)
By  Henry Kerfoot.
**
One of the best duos in the history of the blues, guitarist Buddy Guy and harmonica player Junior Wells made several recordings together over the decades, but this one is unique in their discography. Recorded in the midst of a 1981 European tour, Guy and Wells took a break from their backing musicians and amps to cut this spontaneous, all-acoustic set. The results stand in stark contrast to the hot-and-heavy Chicago blues the duo is known for. Instead, 1981's ALONE & ACOUSTIC is relaxed and personal, with an intimate, back-porch feel.
Guy switches between six- and 12-string guitars, and lays down rootsy acoustic rhythms for Wells's keening harmonica lines. The two share vocal duties, spinning through a handful of originals (including Guy's "Give Me My Coat and Shoes" and Wells's "Wrong Doing Woman"), songs by John Lee Hooker ("Boogie Chillen") and Muddy Waters ("My Home's in the Delta"), as well as some nods to traditional tunes ("Catfish Blues"). In fact, the performances here pay homage to the rural, country-blues roots these modern bluesmen share. Originally released only in France, ALONE & ACOUSTIC was reissued by Alligator Records in 1991 with five bonus tracks.
This reissue includes 5 previously unreleased songs.
**
Buddy Guy- Electric Guitar, Vocals, 12-string Guitar
Junior Wells- Harmonica, Vocals
**
01. Give Me My Coat And Shoes 3:49
02. Big Boat (Buddy and Junior's Thing) 5:13
03. Sweet Black Girl 3:32
04. Diggin' My Potatoes 4:28
05. Don't Leave Me 3:43
06. Rollin' and Tumblin' 4:33
07. I'm In The Mood 3:22
08. High Heel Sneakers 4:56
09. Wrong Doing Woman 3:00
10. Cut You Loose 4:03
11. Sally Mae 2:30
12. Catfish Blues 3:33
13. My Home's In The Delta 3:05
14. Boogie Chillen 4:00
15. Baby What You Want Me To Do/That's Allright 5:44
**

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Robert NIGHTHAWK & Forest City JOE - Black Angel Blues 1991

Robert NIGHTHAWK & Forest City JOE - Black Angel Blues 1991

Blues

Got the blues in the mornin',
Lord, I got the blues all through my day.
Now you know the worst thing man,
The blues gone to my head.
**
Nighthawks 1948-1950 twelve Aristocrat/Chess sides plus two 1964 tracks are on Black Angel Blues (Chess (Charly) CD RED 29). On four of the Chess titles Nighthawk is only playing guitar, though. Ethel Mae is the name of the vocalist. The remaining eight tracks on this CD are Forest City Joe's eight 1948 Aristocrat titles. This album is of course out of print, but could maybe be found second hand. Also, I think it has been reissued by some other company.
**
On April 3rd, 1960, Joe was returning home with friends from a dance when their truck flipped over by Horseshoe Lake. Joe's head was crushed and he died instantly. No one was around to write a "Memory of Forrest City Joe" and it would be another decade before his death was confirmed.
**
Forest City Joe- Harmonica, Vocals
Robert Nighthawk- Guitar, Vocals

01.My Sweet Lovin' Woman
02.Down the Line
03.Sweet Black Angel
04.Handsome Lover
05.She Knows How to Love a Man
06.Annie Lee Blues
07.Sugar Papa
08.Return Mail Blues
09.Good News
10.Six Three O
11.Prison Bound
12.Jackson Town Gal
13.Sorry My Angel
14.Someday
15.Memory of Sonny Boy
16.Special Delivery Man
17.Shady Lane Woman
18.A Woman on Every Street
19.Sawdust Bottom
20.Ash Street Boogie
21.Mean Mistreatin' Woman
22.Lonesome Day Blues
**

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George "Wild Child" BUTLER - The Devil Made Me Do It 1991

George "Wild Child" BUTLER - The Devil Made Me Do It 1991

Blues

On October 1, 1936, in Autaugaville, Alabama, a 13-year-old girl, Beatrice Butler, gave birth to the first of her nine children, a baby boy who was to become the subject of this interview: George Wild Child Butler. George remembers, "On Sundays some of the older ladies would come to the shack where we lived to visit my mother, and even as a toddler I would grab their legs and tug their skirts. The ladies would tell my mother that she had to do something about that Wild Child, and the name just stuck". In fact, when you meet George Butler, one finds him to be a pleasant, highly personable man with a ready smile as big as an Alabama cotton field, and in no way in keeping with the image conjured up by the name Wild Child.
**
01. These Mean Old Blues   3:26
02. Give Me an Answer   3:54
03. Anyone Can Say They Love You   4:15
04. Crack House Woman   4:26
05. Walkin' the Little Girl Home   4:43
06. The Devil, Made Me Do It   3:13
07. It's a Pity   4:36
08. No One Woman's Man   3:22
09. It's A Sin To Be A Thief 4:37
10. My Woman's Been Misled   4:15
11. Do Your Thing   4:21
**

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The Holmes Brothers - Jubilation 1991

The Holmes Brothers - Jubilation 1991

Blues

Jubilation is a revealing, wonderful collection of the Holmes Brothers' distinctive soul. The brothers tie together a seemingly disconnected array of styles -- everything from straightforward blues, R&B, and gospel to worldbeat and country -- and come up with a cohesive whole. Even when the group delves into soukous or works with a Chinese flutist, it manages to retain the pure qualities of American blues and R&B.
By Thom Owens, All Music Guide.
**
Simply brilliant mix of traditional original gospel songs, and the performances are soul-shaking. This real gospel music, capable of delivering a religious experience to the non-religious. Congratulations to Peter Gabrel for recognizing what a good number of fans worldwide know: The Holmes Brothers are the best band!
By  Frederick Rudofsky
**
Sheila Chandra- (Vocals (Background),
Mari Boine Persen- (Vocals (Background),
Remmy Ongala- (Vocals (Background),
Scott Billington- (Vocals (Background),
Paul Brennan- (Vocals (Background),
Andy Breslau (Vocals (Background),
Wendy Tobiassen- (Vocals (Background),
Cosmas Chidmule- (Vocals (Background),
Popsy Dixon- (Percussion),(Drums),(Vocals),
Alex Gifford- (Organ (Hammond)),
Sherman Holmes- (Bass), (Piano), (Arranger), (Vocals),
Wendell Holmes- (Guitar), Piano), (Arranger), (Vocals),
Karl Wallinger- (Vocals (Background)),
Gib Wharton- (Dobro), Gib Wharton (Pedal Steel),
Guo Yue- (Bamboo Flute),
Hasani Ayas Ayas- (Guitar),
Batii Osenga Ipopolipo- (Guitar),
Shemboza Shekungu Mkiva- (Guitar).
**
01. Jesus Is Alright 2:34
02. I Had My Chance 3:31
03. Amazing Grace 7:55
04. I'll Fly Away 3:06
05. I Want Jesus To Walk With Me 4:50
06. Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Saviour 3:57
07. Will The Circle Be Unbroken 7:00
08. Just A Closer Walk With Thee 3:40
09. All Night All Day 2:32
10. Do Lord 2:39
11. Oh How I Love Jesus 3:11
12. The Power Of The Lord Come Down 2:36
13. A Brother's Prayer 2:30
**

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Tania MARIA - Outrageous 1993

Tania MARIA - Outrageous  1993

Jazz

Tania Maria sticks to Brazilian pop music on her concise but unremarkable program. The entire focus is on her vocals and there is little or no improvising over the repetitious vamps. The closer one listens to the admittedly danceable music, the more tedious it sounds.
By Scott Yanow. AMG.
**
Don Alias- Percussion
Tom Barney- Bass
Sergio Brandao- Bass
Reinaldo Fernandes- Repique
Darryl Jones- Bass
Zé Luis Flute, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Tania Maria Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (Bckgr)
Rio- Vocals
Ricky Sebastian- Drums
Claudio Silva- Pandeiro
Jorge Silva- Tambourine
Mitch Stein- Guitar, Mandolin  
Buddy Williams- Drums
Dan Carillo- Guitar
John Purcell- Soprano & Alto Sax
**
01. Dear Dee Vee (4:42)
    Flute, Saxophone [Tenor] - Zé Luis
    Piano [Acoustic] - Tania Maria
02. Confusion (3:35)
    Bass - Tom Barney
03. She's Outrageous (6:47)
    Percussion - Jorge Silva
    Saxophone [Soprano] - Zé Luis
04. Bom Bom Bom Tchi Tchi Tchi (4:56)
05. Happiness (5:03)
    Vocals [Hip Hop Bop Singer] - Rio (31)
06. Amei De Mais (I Loved Too Much) (4:27)
    Pandeiro - Jorge Silva
07. Tá Tudo Certo (Everything Is Fine) (4:50)
    Saxophone [Tenor] - Zé Luis
    Tambourine - Jorge Silva
08. I Can Do It (4:53)
    Mandolin - Mitch Stein
09. Minha Mãe (My Mother) (4:52)
10. Happiness 2 (4:10)
    Bass - Tom Barney
11. Granada (5:31)
    Written-By - Austin Lara
12. Granada Vignette (1:04)
    Written-By - Austin Lara
**

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